Hamilton County to add additional superior court due to increase in cases

The Hamilton County court system will add a new superior court in response to an increase in cases.

The county is one of the fastest growing in Indiana, prompting the legislature to agree that an additional court is needed.

Judge Jon Brown said Hamilton County has seen increases in all cases across the board, including crime. With the current court setup, defendants can be held in jail longer as they await trial. The pandemic also caused delays.

“That's not justice, you don't want to have a situation where you're having to wait even longer to get your case heard, because there's too many cases,” Brown said.

Brown said the new court will allow cases to be heard in a more timely manner.

Members of the public will be able to comment on the court later this year, once the court’s rules are established. The court is expected to be operational in January.